Lexus unveils LC500-based race car

The car will compete in the SuperGT GT500 class starting next year.

Though it's not even on the market yet, Lexus has developed a racing car based on its flagship LC500 grand tourer.

The bewinged Lexus will race in Japan's Super GT touring car races starting in 2017 in the GT500 class, replacing the Lexus RC F racer that the marque has been campaigning the past two years.

The car looks like an LC500 with dramatically widened fenders, skirts, and a large rear diffuser. A huge spoiler, canards, and numerous vents for downforce and heat extraction can be found throughout the body. Of course, Lexus's trademark spindle grille and L-shaped lights mark the front end.

Though few details were released, we can expect that it will produce in excess of 500 horsepower from a turbocharged, 2.0-liter direct-injection four-cylinder that is the standard Super GT-spec engine. Vehicle weight should come in at around 2,250 pounds, thanks to a tube frame chassis and body panels that are mostly carbon fiber. However, that weight might change if Lexus racks up any wins, as ballast is added to keep the competition close.

Testing will begin in September, while the actual car will begin to show up on race tracks in spring of 2017.